Maam Alien: The lost pages (part iii of iv)

So I'm like (totes) having a solo show next month (yay!) and as a lead up I've been posting these old comic strip cartoons I wrote and illustrated cos they're complimentary to the subject matter of the show.... kinda. Exhibition details are: 

                    
 Opens 6 Jul at 6pm and runs to 26 Jul 2012 @ Brunswick Street Gallery

322 Brunswick St, Fitzroy. (Cnr Argyle St) 

Hrs Tue to Sun 10am-10pm 

0419 390 478 

mark@bsgart.com.au 

www.brunswickstreetgallery.com.au

Below is the second of three comic strips I did for the original Mammalien exhibition back in 2009 (to view first click here):

Maam Alien: The lost pages (part i of iv)

Back in August of 2009 I had my very first ever opportunity to exhibit my art work in a real gallery as part of a real group show (Très exciting!) 

The show, "Mammailan", included the artistic talents of Elspeth McIntosh and Emma Kirsopp as well as myself. Initially when we had decided on the show's theme/topic/title I had absolutely NO idea what to do.... until I talked about it with my friend Greg Shields who (brilliantly) gave me the idea of creating an alien with lots of  boobies

Booooooooooooooooobs (boobies, titties, knockers etc etc.). 

...So I did.

The result I eventually came up with was a hypothetical superhero/pin-up alien girl who featured as the hero in a comic book series. This was exactly how I executed each painting on canvas, as the front cover of a comic book (sounds awesome right?). 


To add to the exhibition I also wrote and inked several short comic strips and illustrations to accompany each painting, so the effect would be that of a full colour comic book cover and a sample of the pages inside. Clever no? Well interesting anyway. (See below: there are 2x "potential-would-be" inside comic illustrations.) 

As of today I was been offered the opportunity to re-exhibit the original paintings from that show, (plus other works) which is kinda exciting.  I mean, come on! - A superhero/pin-up alien girl covered in boobies and the hero in her own comic book series - that is AWE(wait for it)SOME!!

If you happen to be keen/curious to check the exhibition out:

Opens 6 Jul at 6pm and runs to 26 Jul 2012 @ Brunswick Street Gallery

322 Brunswick St, Fitzroy. (Cnr Argyle St) 

Hrs Tue to Sun 10am-10pm 

0419 390 478 

mark@bsgart.com.au 

www.brunswickstreetgallery.com.au 

"It's like parting the sea like Moses, and look no hands!"

"No thanks. I don't do H1N1"

Mario: Portrait of a Portrait

Starting the year by finishing my first commission for 2012! 


For something different, I was requested to do this painting outside my usual cartoony, exaggerated "Lucy" style. A challenge - but I thought I'd give it a go. Below is the finished result (and below that, preliminary "study" sketches)  

    

Venus: The Bearded Beauty

Daughter of two high school teachers and the eldest of six siblings, Venus, the Sideshow's Bearded Beauty was originally christened as Eden Grace Harper as named after Mount Eden in New Zealand where she was born.

As a young child and well into her teens, she was always academically gifted with an aptitude for Chemistry. To equal her natural brilliance was her beauty, which instead of a blessing Eden felt was a curse. Her beauty was so flawless, even from an early age, that people were intimidated by her  or perhaps too shy to speak to her.

"I was always very lonely as a child and again as a teen. It was horrible. People would just stare at me their mouth opening and shutting like a fish out of water. They would always stare but never speak or utter a word to me"

When Eden turned sixteen, fed up with the curse of loneliness her beauty caused her, she dosed her face in a chemical she had designed to treat dogs with alopecia hoping to cover her appearance and creating the beard that now grows on her face today.

"It's a strange thing, people were still staring at me but in a different way. They now stare at me with child like curiosity, which is great because with curiosity comes questions followed by conversation and then friendship. Having a beard was the best thing I could have done for myself"

Being so academically gifted, you'd expect that Eden would have discovered a cure for her famous whiskers long ago, and it may surprise you to learn that she has.

"I knew how to get rid of my beard the moment I grew it, but I don't want to. It's a part of me and that's the way that I like it" 

You can see Eden aka. Venus: The Bearded Beauty and more at the Sideshow exhibition @ For Walls Gallery opening Aug 3rd 2011. Hosted by beinArt Surrealist Collective

The reappearance of Crab Girl

Beautiful, mysterious and aloof, Crab Girl is famed for being one of the Sideshow's most complex, unusual and fascinating performers.

The art of unbelievable mind-blowing dramatic bending, flexing and twisting of the human body is what you'd expect from the most talented of contortionists right? And Crab Girl certainly does deliver...
in spades!

Though what makes her so very VERY unique to her contemporaries is the unavoidable fact she has a crab claw where her right hand should be;

"I was born this way. I dunno. And no I'm not related to that Lobster Man whatshisfaceguyman ok!"

"What? Yes I am left handed. Why? Huh? Why are you saying that it's lucky I'm left handed?!"

As interviews go she'll do few and far between, but I think that adds to her mystique. Though where she won't do interviews she will do performances, appearances and portrait sittings - if you care to note the preliminary canvas outline above (yes that's right preliminary as in NOT finished).

Previously she appeared in the Erotic Grotesque exhibition @ 696INK in July - Aug of 2010 and she is now due to make a new appearance as part of the Pin-Up Goils of the Sideshow exhibition running alongside The Sideshow @ For Walls Gallery later this year -  so keep your eyes and ears open for details on that one!

"I Love Crabby Women" and "Silly Fat Cow and Two-faced B****h"

Both will be appearing in the Pin-Up Goils of the Sideshow and The Sideshow later this year at For Walls Gallery

 
(click any of the pictures to view a larger image)

Australia day in Coogee 1 year on

Australia (Jan 26th) 2010, I was in Coogee (in Sydney) with a bunch of lovely people sharing a BBQ and Vanilla vodka under the stars. It was such a beautiful evening that it's permanently etched into my mind forever and naturally made me inspired to capture the moment on canvas.

Please note, these are only progress shots and the painting is still a long way from being complete.

To view larger, please click on any of the images below

This image below was my very first outline attempt, which I was very unhappy with. I felt it was too static and boring...
so I painted over it.

People's choice award winner 2010 (woot!)

So I did it. This painting (which I hold so dear to me) won the People's Choice Award for the 2010 Cancer Council Art Awards.

Silly Fat Cow and a Two-faced B

A painting idea that I've had dancing around in circles in my head for many many years.

I'd often wondered what people would look like if name calling or insults could be literal, for example, what would a silly fat cow or a two-faced bitch really look like? Perhaps something like the circus-freak-show-clowns that live in Tinsel Town? I'll admit within this painting there is a wee homage to Ms. Spears (whom I'm actually fond of) and Ms. Hilton.

And in hindsight *pauses to think* I think I should have made the cow orange (as in "fake tan orange")

Moore in "Beyond first impressions"

Field have accepted my portrait into their upcoming show "Beyond first impressions: What changes once you get to know me".

I'd submitted my painting of Richard Moore because I had admired the way he had stood his ground in authorizing the screening of Jeff Daniel's documentary "10 Conditions of Love" at the 2009 Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF). To me, I felt this was an important reminder to people in Australia that we are lucky to have as much freedom as we do in this country, and this I felt met the theme criteria of the Field exhibition.

Eureka!!.... oops not quite.

Image property of the Bendigo Historical Society

Margaret Kennedy and Julia Farrell start The Rush

Earlier this year the Bendigo Art Gallery announced The Paul Guest Prize for drawing.

I was excited by this news for a number of reasons, I'd visited Bendigo the previous year to view the touring 2009 Archibald exhibition and I had throughly enjoyed the weekend away indulging in the history of this once famous gold rush city. I was also keen to rise to the challenge of breaking out the old watercolour pencils giving myself a break from painting...

but if I'm really honest, the real selling clincher was the $10,000 prize money - Ha! I mean why not give it a go right?

There was no appointed theme for the competition which suited me. I'd already been inspired by a small slice of Bendigo history; allegedly in 1851 two women, Margaret Kennedy and Julia Farrell found gold which was picked up by a newspaper journalist which was how the gold rush got started in Bendigo. There is not much documentation on this story but I found it quite interesting all the same.

Painstakingly drawn - seriously, it took ages - on A1 drawing board with layer upon layer of watercolour pencil I illustrated my interpretation of Kennedy and Farrell finding gold. Surrounding them are ghost or shadow images of a number of future iconic structures to Bendigo, ie. Bendigo's talking tram, the Town Hall and the entrance to the Chinese Museum.

Below: Bendigo fountain on Pall Mall and the Chinese Museum entrance,

Bendigo's talking tram, lookout tower, the Town Hall

Images property of the Bendigo Historical Society

Click on any of the photos to view larger

My entry was unsuccessful. Am I disappointed? Totally!

I put a lot of care and thought into this work - as I do with all my work. Though I had really tailored my concept for Bendigo specifically thinking that it would appeal to the judging panel at the Bendigo Art Gallery. Obviously it didn't work, and maybe that's even the reason why it wasn't selected because it was TOO "Bendigo".

In all honesty, the images I have don't really do the work justice.The pencil work is so fine and there is so much small detail that it was actually a very difficult work to photograph. To see this work in the "flesh" is quite vibrant and impressive. I'm proud of this work.

Image property of the Bendigo Historical Society

click on photo to view larger

696INK: Erotic Grotesque

The painting above (painted by moi) will appear in the upcoming Erotic Grotesque exhibition at gallery 696INK. I call it "I Love Crabby Women"

Artists participating in 'Erotic Grotesque': Ashlee Duggan, Rev "Blood Painter" Mayers, Mark Powell, Dale Keogh, Beau White, Curran James, Jason Jacenko, Elspeth McIntosh, Matthew Turner, Sally Hanreck, Meg Woodsworth, Wendy Olsen and more

Cancer Council Victoria 2010 Arts Awards ‘Lost and Found’

Cancer Council Victoria has selected my painting of Mum for their 2010 Arts Awards. I’m really proud to be included in this exhibition for so many reasons, one of the biggest reasons is it’s a very personal, sentimental and emotional painting to me.

The exhibition will open on Sunday 11 July 3-5pm @ 120 Collins Street Melbourne and run until the Friday 30 July.

As part of the exhibition there is a people's choice award. For any of you who might like to show your support, please click here to vote. Voting finishes November 2010.

Thank you :)

Moore painting publicity.

After not getting into the Archibald earlier this year, my entry of Richard Moore WAS in actual fact selected by the Salon de Refusés, aka Hidden Faces of the Archibald. But for personal reasons I refused the Refusés.

I'd posted the painting on my blog, and shortly there after I was contacted by someone who wanted to do a profile piece on me and my entry of Richard Moore for the RMIT Alumni online newsletter. I was very flattered and accepted the opportunity to share my painting to a wider audience.

(click here to read profile)

Archibald Portrait Prize Submission - Mark Two!

One lesson learnt from last year's submission - paint someone actually known in the Arts, Letters and Sciences and NOT yourself (unless am actually known and highly regarded in one of those areas..... hmmm, obviously not quite yet).

Learning from my mistakes I chose to approach Richard Moore, Executive Director of the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF), who has been responsible for overseeing operations of Australia’s largest annual film festival from 2006 - 2010. Being a generous man and a man of good humour who indulges a good coffee, he agreed to sit for me.

In 2009 he authorized the screening of Jeff Daniels’ controversial documentary 10 Conditions of Love, a film about the Uyghur activist Rebiya Kadeer. The film was shown in the face of intense pressure from Han Chinese activists, including the Chinese Consulate.

My main motivation for approaching Richard Moore was I admired the way he stood his ground in the screening of 10 Conditions of Love despite pressure inside and outside Australia. Australia is a very privileged country to have the right of free speech and I think Australians should be reminded of this. I call the painting Speak Freely as in, "Permission to speak freely, Sir!" and as Australians.... we can!

Click on picture for a larger image

My entry into the Archibald for 2010 was unsuccessful. Which is only a shame because I so dearly wanted to share the painting's message to live and nation wide audience. I'll admit I'm a little disappointed at the outcome. I'm a little bruised and a little battered, but I'm all the more determined too.

Fingers crossed I may be selected for the Salon de Refusés aka. Hidden Faces of the Archibald.

696INK: Grand Opening Group Show (Featuring work by ME!)

Jon Beinart, creator of Toddlerpedes and founder of BeInArt Surrealist Collective asked me (via Elspeth) to submit my Maam Alian works into 696INK’s grand opening group show.

This was very flattering... so I am.

This visual art and tattoo gallery, although small, is an amazing place with really exceptional works by many truly amazing artists. Included in this group show will be Elspeth McIntosh, Jon Beinart and Jason Jacenko and many more kick-arse artists.

Details: Friday 5^th of March, 6pm – 696 Sydney Road, Brunswick, VIC.

Email 696ink@gmail.com to be on the mailing list.

Above flyer artwork by Jason Jacenko.

Poster Concept: Adelaide Fringe 2010

For a bit o fun I entered the Adelaide Fringe 2010 poster competition in September last year.

Having attended the Fringe before, I felt it to be a Festival that offered a lot in terms of fun, entertainment and atmosphere. Thus my concept was based upon the idea of “Adventure and Fun for the Senses”.

The outcome? Well I didn’t win… this time.

I realise I missed a very important detail – it was the Fringe’s 50th year. A very important milestone and very important marketing angle for the Festival. Silly Lucy. So I appreciate the relevance of the winning entry.

(I still feel my poster is pretty cute though)

Archibald Portrait Prize Submission – Mark One!

2009 was my first attempt at submitting a piece into the coveted and highly respected Archibald Portrait Prize run by the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Having left it too late to find an appropriate candidate ("An Australian citizen renowned in the Arts, Sciences or Letters"), I chose to use myself as the subject. This unfortunately was an inappropriate choice as I am not yet a "renowned" person within the Australian Arts community… yet.

Although unsuccessful in being short-listed this time, it was a fantastic exercise to paint to a large scale and hit a tight deadline. I'm really pleased with the final result - I think the way I've painted my hands is beautiful.

Inspired by 2008 Archibald Prize winner Del Kathryn Barton, I chose to paint what I was personally most passionate about.: drawing, painting, my friends and my family.

First EVER Exhibition

CONGRATULATIONS!

Yes, congratulations to me!

Congratulations to me for finally exhibiting for the first time EVER!!!

Finally after much support and gentle but persistent nagging from friends and family, it was very appreciated nagging by the way, I finally got my act together and teamed up with fellow artists Emma Kirsopp and Elspeth McIntosh to create the exhibition Mammalian.

Here is the ultra rad flyer/invite we sent out. I'm very proud of it

(Thank you Emma)

Here is the show's title and our names printed on the window of Hogan Gallery.

Very exciting indeed.

When I first approached the theme of Mammalian my mind went completely blank, I had no ideas, I was stuck. So I asked a number of friends what they thought of when they heard the word “Mammalian” and the main response I received was “Boobies!”

A friend, Greg Shields, cleverly made the suggestion of “Ma’am” and “Alien”. I thought, “Brilliant! A female alien made of boobies!” And that, folks, is how the character of Maam Alien came about.

She’s a sexy, sassy, strong superhero come pin-up girl presented in the format of a comic book series with influences from pin-up artists Gil Elvgren and Bill Ward and the wonderful comic artist Albert “Asterix” Uderzo. Imagining that the Maam Alien series could be pitched to a viable publisher, I have put together a folio of potential comic book covers, painted on canvas to illustrate how her series would look.

Click on any of the photos to view larger

My intention is that you laugh and be entertained by her and her adventures.

Flirty Fleur

A lot of my work is inspired by my friends and people I know. Fleur is someone I've known seemingly forever. However, unlike most of my subjects, Fleur actually asked me to paint her - "when are you going to paint me?" .... so I did:

Click on the photo to view larger

This piece is called "Flirty Fleur" as I intended it to capture her very social personality. Is she toasting the viewer or accepting a free beer that happens to be coming her way?

Mum

This is a very personal piece. It’s a tribute to my mother who passed away from bowel and liver cancer in 2002. She was a strong and beautiful woman whose love was unconditional and everlasting.

Click on the photo to view larger

In this painting her spirit is represented in the form of a Ghost Gum with strong branches that support the family she made for herself – My dad, my sister and myself.

Represented on the ground below is the unfortunate “family politics” that occurred as a result of her passing.

We still mourn her and miss her everyday.